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The brand-new Polana collisional household in the Solar System’s primary asteroid belt is the assumed origin of the near-Earth asteroids (101955) Bennu, which was the target of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx objective, and (162173) Ryugu, which was the target of JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 objective. Now, astronomers utilizing the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have actually acquired spectroscopic information from the moms and dad body of the household, (142) Polana, and compared them with spacecraft and lab information of both near-Earth asteroids, finding resemblances in their near-infrared spectra adequate to support the theory that they stem from the exact same moms and dad asteroid.
This picture of the asteroid Ryugu was caught by the Optical Navigation Camera– Telescopic (ONC-T )on JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft on June 26, 2018, from a range of 13.7 miles (22 km). Image credit: JAXA/ University of Tokyo/ Kochi University/ Rikkyo University/ Nagoya University/ Chiba Institute of Technology/ Meiji University/ Aizu University/ AIST.
“Very early in the development of the Solar System, our company believe big asteroids clashed and got into pieces to form an ‘asteroid household’ with Polana as the biggest staying body,” stated Dr. Anicia Arredondo, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute.
“Theories recommend that residues of that crash not just produced Polana, however likewise Bennu and Ryugu too.”
“To evaluate that theory, we began taking a look at spectra of all 3 bodies and comparing them to one another.”
The authors got time on Webb to observe Polana utilizing 2 various spectral instruments concentrating on the near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths.
They then compared that information with the spectral information from physical samples of Ryugu and Bennu gathered by 2 various area objectives.
“Bennu and Ryugu are thought about near-Earth asteroids since they orbit the Sun within the orbit of Mars,” they stated.
“However, they are ruled out a risk to Earth, having a closest method of about 3 million km (1.9 million miles) and 1.6 million km (1 million miles), respectively.”
“Both Bennu and Ryugu are reasonably little compared to Polana. Bennu has to do with 500 m (0.3 miles) in size, or about the size of the Empire State Building.”
“Ryugu is two times as big, however Polana overshadows them both, determining approximately 55.3 km (34.4 miles) broad.”
“Scientists think Jupiter’s gravity pressed Bennu and Ryugu out of their orbit near Polana.”
“They are comparable enough that we feel great that all 3 asteroids might have originated from the exact same moms and dad body.”
This mosaic picture of asteroid Bennu is made up of 12 images gathered on December 2, 2018 by OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam instrument from a variety of 15 miles(24 km). Image credit: NASA/ NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ University of Arizona.
The authors kept in mind that the spectral information from the asteroids had variations and distinctions, however inadequate to negate the hypothesis that they all share a typical origin.
“Polana, Bennu and Ryugu have all had their own journeys through our planetary system given that the effect that might have formed them,” stated Dr. Tracy Becker, likewise from the Southwest Research Institute.
“Bennu and Ryugu are now much closer to the Sun than Polana, so their surface areas might be more impacted by solar radiation and solar particles.”
“Likewise, Polana is perhaps older than Bennu and Ryugu and hence would have been exposed to micrometeoroid effects for a longer duration.”
“That might likewise alter elements of its surface area, including its structure.”
A paper on the findings was released in the Planetary Science Journal
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Anicia Arredondo et al2025. JWST Spectroscopy of (142) Polana: Connection to NEAs (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu. World. Sci. J 6, 195; doi: 10.3847/ PSJ/ade395
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